Hidden Turmoil
by Mirage79
Summary: There was just something about him that has always captured her attention. Something about her best friend's ex that has always spoken to the woman in her. But he was supposed to be off limits. Untouchable. But sometimes things don't go the way one plans it.


_Heeelllloooo everybody. So at the moment this is just a one shot. Definitely AU with slight OOC, I wanted to put this to paper – so to speak. I like the idea of Caroline and Stefan, they make a good-looking couple. Matt never hooked up with Elena, Caroline and Tyler never were together and neither were Bonnie and Jeremy. Caroline/Stefan, Elena/Damon, Tyler/Bonnie, Elena/Stefan._

Caroline Forbes had to be the worst fucking friend in the entire world. And considering it wasn't just normal friend status but _**best**_ friend status that was saying a lot. Because really, she was the worst fucking _**best**_ friend in the entire world.

Although considering how they had drifted apart over the two years since high school and their relationship wasn't as close as it use to be, they had still been best friends. Almost like sisters.

It had been them against the world. Her, Bonnie and Elena. Grams always called them the Three Musketeers. If one was in trouble – and it usually was Caroline – then the other two would lie through their teeth to get the other out of trouble. Either that or end up in trouble themselves. If one was in pain then the other two would be there for them, staging sleepovers with masses amounts of junk food, sneaky liquor and a dart board with a photo of whoever had hurt them. That had been them. The Three Musketeers. Her, Bonnie and Elena.

Which meant that Caroline Forbes was still the worst fucking friend in history.

It was probably a bit of a broad statement but unfortunately it was a very true statement. Because what friend, what _**best**_ friend would willingly and consciously go to bed with the man her best friend was pulling out all stops to try and win back. What best friend would willingly and consciously sleep with the love of her best friend's life, despite the fact that that same best friend cheated on the said man.

The worst friend imaginable, that's who!

Sighing, Caroline turned her head, staring at the sleeping man beside her, her eyes drifting over his almost perfect features, noticing that awake, Stefan Salvatore was a devastatingly handsome man, but asleep, shit, the man could make angels weep.

High forehead, thick dark brown hair, sharp aristocratic features, full soft looking lips. All made one hell of a handsome man.

Caroline knew that most people thought that Damon was the better looking one out of the two, but to Caroline, it had always been Stefan, with his warm, genuine smiles, smoky green eyes and arms strong enough to chase away all nightmares.

It had been Bonnie who had noticed him first. Pointed out the hot new boy with the sad eyes. It had been Bonnie who had introduced herself to him, when in history they found him sitting at the back, ignoring the whispers and the looks from the other students. It had been Bonnie who had offered that first token of friendship, introducing him to everyone, putting her silent seal of approval so that the jocks would leave him alone. After all you mess with Bonnie Bennett, and you mess with Tyler Lockwood. Douche-bag extraordinaire, and Bonnie's overly possessive boyfriend.

But it had been _**Elena**_ that had laid claim on him. Elena he fell in love with, and Elena who eventually broke his heart.

That had been a couple of years ago, two to be exact. They had all survived high school, despite every freakin' Tom, Dick and Harry or more accurately Klaus, Elijah and _**Katherine **_wanting to kill, kidnap and hurt Elena and everyone who was even remotely close to her.

They had survived finding out that Stefan and his older brother Damon were bloodsucking vampires who hated each other almost as much as they loved each other.

They all survived finding out that Elena was a doppelganger of some psychotic bitch who incidentally use to be Stefan and Damon's ex.

They had survived Caroline getting her neck snapped by the said psychotic ex and then she herself becoming a vampire.

They survived finding out that Tyler was a werewolf – which explained his out of control temper – who later turned into a hybrid vampire / werewolf thanks to a now very dead Klaus Mikaelson who picked on the wrong witches boyfriend.

They had survived finding Matt dead on the Salvatores doorstep the day after he and Caroline had broken up.

And they survived the train wreck of Elena and Stefan's relationship, when Elena thought that the feelings she had for Damon were deeper than the feelings she had for Stefan.

They were definitely survivors, her and her friends. Young people - Stefan and Damon notwithstanding - who had already seen way too much of life.

For some of them it had bought them closer. Forged friendships and relationships that remained strong despite the troubles they went through.

And for some of them it severed them as well.

Stefan and Damon barely talk anymore, the act of history repeating itself too much for both brothers.

Elena and Damon had this whole destructive on again off again relationship going on while Elena made moon-eyes at Stefan who barely acknowledged her presence anymore.

Then there was Damon's constant flirting with Bonnie that had Bonnie barely able to restrain Tyler from killing him and Bonnie constantly setting Damon on fire because he irritated her.

All their relationships had changed, but for Caroline, her friendship with Bonnie Bennett and Elena Gilbert had always been the most important thing she had.

It had been the only constant in her life. But now, as she lay in bed with her best friend's ex boyfriend, the thought of her best friend made Caroline feel like she was the lowest thing on God's green planet.

Because she, Caroline Forbes had done what she considered was the lowest of the low, and slept with her best friend's ex-boyfriend. The fucking so-called love of her best friend's life.

Never mind the fact that that same best friend slept with her own boyfriends brother and then kicked him to the proverbial curb and he was technically a free man, Caroline still felt as if she had done something wrong.

They had a pact. Bonnie, Elena and Caroline. Each others boyfriends were off limits and when those boyfriends became exes they too were off limits.

It saved on the awkward silences and the increased tension once they all got together and it saved from any of them having to choose sides.

Although over the years Caroline and Bonnie stuck to the pact more often than Elena, Caroline had promised herself, when she first found herself falling for Stefan's soulful gaze and quiet smiles, that he would remain off limits. Despite what Elena had put him through.

She didn't want to be _**that**_ friend. The friend known as the one who slept with her best friend's leftovers. The friend that chose the boy over her friend.

Biting her lip, Caroline pulled away from him slowly, careful not to wake him. Grabbing the first thing that came to her, which just so happened to be Stefan's shirt, she pulled in over her naked body, shuddering as the smell of musk and wood assaulted her senses she tiptoed into the bathroom of the plush hotel room, Caroline closed the door softly.

Leaning back against it, Caroline rested her head against the door, closing her eyes as the guilt washed over her.

She needed to talk to someone. She needed to talk to Bonnie.

Bonnie, who was the only other person who knew of her growing affection for Stefan. Bonnie, who was a sounding board when it came to Caroline ranting about Elena and her more the obvious plays for her ex. Bonnie who listened as Caroline voiced her insecurities about Stefan still being in love with Elena.

But Bonnie was probably at this moment under her soon to be husband, Tyler Lockwood and Caroline knew that the hybrid would not be very happy if she interrupted their play time … again.

Taking a deep breath, Caroline mentally pulled up her big girl panties and moved towards the sink.

It really was a beautiful bathroom. An on-the-counter oval sink sat in front of a ceiling high mirror that stretched the entire space of one wall. Beside it sat an identical sink, a sort of him and hers setting. To her immediate right sat a massive perfectly round tub and right above the tub a larger than life shower head. To her left was a large shower stall that had three shower heads. The shower itself could probably fit four to five people in it, it was so big. Dark tiles covered the shower walls, with a see through glass door.

Usually Caroline would've stood back and admired the setting but thoughts of Stefan and of Elena plagued her mind.

Staring at her reflection, Caroline took note of her smooth youthful features, eternally young, her messy blonde hair, swollen lips, dark brown eyes and the rather large hickey that was rapidly disappearing on her neck.

Stefan had been … amazing. Everything she thought he would be. Generous, playful and all consuming at the same time. Shit, he did things to her that she never thought possible; made her feel things she never knew she could feel.

Caroline chalked it up to the fact the man had been on this earth for a hell of a long time, and during that time he had to have accumulated a hell of a lot of experience. And the art of making her body sing, he became an expert at.

Licking her lips, Caroline jerked the faucet on, splashing water over her face, a myriad of thoughts running through her head.

Should she stay? Or go. Walk out and pretend that nothing ever happened or wait for Stefan to wake up and see where it goes from here?

Should she put all her cards out on the table and let Stefan know exactly how she felt? Or should she smile and brush it off as a one time thing?

Taking a deep breath she worried her lip again fingers digging into the sides of the sink wincing when the upraised sink snapped under her fingers. Dammit, she needed to control herself and the emotions running through her. She needed to pull it together, open that bathroom door, get changed and get the hell out of here.

She needed to talk to Bonnie.

Instead Caroline turned towards the shower stall, twisted the facets, pulled Stefan's mouth-watering smelling shirt off her body and began to wash Stefan's scent off her.

Leaning her head against the cool tiles Caroline forced herself to take deep, calming breaths. Suddenly she was afraid. Afraid of the intensity of emotion running through her. Ever since she became a vampire her emotions tended to be extreme. Extreme anger, hurt, sorrow and love. And at this very moment extreme guilt.

She knew that as a human, the guilt would've still been there, but not to this extent. It was almost crippling. Consuming to the point where she felt like she couldn't breathe. But being that she was a vampire and technically they didn't need to breathe showed exactly how out of control her emotions were.

And on top of the guilt was the insecurity. Caroline had always been plagued with insecurities.

And being best friends with two of Mystic Falls' most beautiful women didn't really help those feelings.

Elena was the kind of girl that turned people's heads. Tall, slender with lightly tanned skin, deep soulful brown eyes, long dark brown hair and a smile that smacked you right in the solar-plexus.

But it was those eyes that captured you. Once she turned those doe-like eyes on you, you were snared, unable to move and unable to look away. Which was probably why men like Damon, Stefan and even Elijah found themselves slaves to her whims. There was just something about Elena that made men turn into mindless idiots.

And then there was Bonnie. Bonnie was kind of an oxymoron. Almost two completely different sides of a coin that cohabited into one very powerful witch.

Sweet, loving and undeniably sexy, Bonnie was the type of girl every guy wanted to take home and introduce to their mom. That type of girl every guy would be proud to call his.

Yet piss her off and Bitch Bonnie came out to play. And it was Bitch Bonnie that played and killed with Klaus Mikaelson's life as if he were a baby vamp in his first year instead of a bad ass original he actually was.

And it was Bitch Bonnie that Tyler liked to play with.

And then there was her. Caroline Forbes. The girl whose father left her and her mom for another man. The girl whose mother barely acknowledged her, because she was now one of the monsters her mother sought to kill. The girl who fell in love with her best friend's ex-boyfriend.

Slapping one hand against the tile, Caroline grabbed the small bottle of liquid soap, squeezed a small amount into her hand and began washing, wishing she could wash away her dreary thoughts as well.

She had this discussion with Bonnie before, and Bonnie had almost punched her.

"You are not _**just**_ Caroline Forbes!" the small witch had hissed, hands planted on her hips and green eyes flashing dangerously. "You are _**the**_ Caroline Forbes. Miss Mystic Falls, Ex-head cheerleader, the one when we saw Paul Walker in LA he smiled at _**you.**_ Not Elena, not me, _**you!**_" she had snapped, stepping towards her. And although she stood inches below Caroline, it felt as if Caroline stood eye to eye with the witch. "Don't sell yourself short, Care. You are fucking beautiful. You need to stop comparing yourself with people. Cause it'll only depress the shit out of you."

Smirking Caroline had stared at her best friend, amused by her cursing. Obviously Tyler's influence. The potty mouth.

"I know, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to turn this into a pity party –"Caroline had muttered.

"Honestly Care, do you really think that none of us have had the same thoughts? That _**I**_ haven't felt insecure around you and Elena?" Bonnie had ranted, ignoring her interruption.

"What?"

Bonnie had shot her a narrow-eyed glare.

"Imagine trying to be friends to two glamazons." Bonnie had told her, rolling her eyes at her. "My two best friends, both who have model like bodies, who have almost every guy lusting after them. I'm known as the midget, the cute little one whereas you are Elena are the ones known as the girls most likely to be supermodels. How do you think _**I**_ feel standing next to you two each and every day?"

Caroline had been floored. She honestly hadn't known Bonnie ever felt like that.

"Bullshit," Caroline had snapped. "Tyler is forever knocking some guy out because they have made a play for you."

Bonnie smirked, folding her arms across her chest.

"And he's extremely hot when he does it." She had grinned, causing the corner of Caroline's mouth to kick up. "What I'm trying to say is that just because _**you**_ don't see how utterly fabulous you are, doesn't mean every one else doesn't. We all have our insecurities; I have mine as much as you have yours, just as Elena has hers. We just can't let those insecurities take over our lives."

Eyes wet, Caroline swept the tiny witch up in a bone crushing hug that had the witch squeaking in protest.

"I love you Bonnie Bennett." She had told her friend.

"Eh, you have to." Bonnie teased, those strong slim arms hugging her back. "I know all your deep dark secrets."

But despite that pep talk, when it came to Elena Gilbert, all rational thought flew out the window and Caroline couldn't help but feel as if she were always going to be second best.

Which was why when Stefan entered the scene and he met Elena, Caroline knew she had no chance.

Caroline had been the first one to show interest in him. Bonnie had introduced him to her and she had felt unusually tongue-tied. Caroline _**never**_ felt tongue tied around a boy. _**Never.**_

"And this is Caroline Forbes." Bonnie had introduced, shooting the tall boy a sweet smile.

"Hi Caroline." He greeted, his voice low and deep and pleasing to the ear. Caroline remembered her mouth going dry as they shook hands, green eyes clashing with dark brown.

The smile that crossed his face had been warm, slightly shy but utterly sexy.

"Hi." She replied, after Bonnie discreetly coughed, pulling Caroline's fascinated gaze away from Stefan.

"So we're all meeting at the Grille after school." Bonnie had told him, when Caroline remained quiet. "You should join us."

"I'd love to." He had smiled at Bonnie. Initially Caroline thought that he had something for Bonnie, until Bonnie mentioned that her boyfriend would be there.

And then enter Elena Gilbert. Once Caroline saw Stefan's reaction to Elena she knew there was no hope. So she had put her feelings on the back burner, and found herself in a relationship with Matt Donavan.

Caroline sighed, pausing as she remembered Matt. She had loved Matt. That much was true. He had been the only guy who had been able to make her forget about her stupid feelings for Stefan and made her believe there was someone for everyone. And he had loved her. Despite her many shortcomings he had loved _**her**_.

And their breakup had hit her deep. She had walked in on something she had misunderstood and thrown their relationship away. The next day Matt's body had shown up on the Salvatore's doorstep and Caroline lived with the regret that she couldn't say sorry.

Taking a deep breath, Caroline realised she had been crying. Thinking about her past, and Matt and then her unresolved feelings for Stefan had the tears that she had refused to cry, falling silently down her cheeks.

One of the main things she hated about being a vampire. Was the over-the-top emotions that even now she couldn't get a handle on. She understood why some just switched off their emotions. Because it was all too much to handle.

Resting her forehead against the dark tiles, Caroline slid down the wall, curling herself into a ball.

She needed to man up – or more accurately woman up. She needed to pick herself up off this fancy bathroom floor, throw on some clothes and wake Stefan up. She needed to _**do**_ something else than wallow in self-pity and self-depreciation.

That was not her anymore. She was Caroline Forbes. She was better.

Taking another deep breath, Caroline got to her feet, washed her hair in record time and stepped out of the shower.

Toweling herself dry, she ignored Stefan's discarded shirt and pulled on one of the hotel's robes, drawing herself up to the mirror again.

Her eyes were slightly puffy from the crying, but there was a new found determination in her eyes.

"Care?" Caroline jerked at the sudden intrusion of Stefan's voice into her musings, her newfound courage suddenly whittling away to nothing.

Swallowing Caroline met her own gaze in the mirror, wondering whether she should answer him or not. It's not like he didn't know she was in here.

"Yeah?" she answered, wincing when her voice came out in a squeak.

"Open the door, Care." He told her softly.

"I'll just be a minute." She told him, resisting the urge to fling open the door and throw herself into his arms.

"Care." His voice was a low warning, making her tingle in places she shouldn't be tingling.

Taking a deep breath, Caroline straightened her spine, armed her expression and schooled her features. She could handle this, she will handle this.

Blowing out a breath Caroline turned and sauntered towards the bathroom door.

It was time to get this over and done with.

**_*** _****_Stefan. _****_Stefan._** **_Stefan._** **_Stefan._** **_Stefan._** **_Stefan._** **_Stefan._** **_Stefan._** **_Stefan._** **_Stefan._** **_Stefan._** **_Stefan._** **_Stefan._** ***

Stefan Salvatore held himself still as the soft cool body next to his shifted sleepily, the hand on his chest curling slightly so her nails scraped against his skin enticingly.

Grimacing at his body's immediate reaction Stefan slowly blinked down at the blonde beside him, taking in the perfect lines of her face.

Caroline Forbes was the kind of woman who made men like him wonder what the hell he ever did to deserve ever having her in his life.

Gorgeous, vivacious and funny, Caroline kinda snuck up on him and smacked him upside the head.

He remembered just staring at her one day and thinking she had one of the most beautiful smiles he had ever seen.

It took over her whole face, lit up those dark brown eyes, stretched those full lips from one side of her face to the other and created a tiny little dimple on her left cheek.

Stefan had always known she was beautiful, you had to be blind not to, but he had been so immersed in everything that was Elena that every other girl had faded into the background.

But he remembered staring down into her face that day, wondering why the hell he hadn't noticed that Caroline Forbes was off the scales _**sexy**_ as well as extremely beautiful.

And the two didn't necessarily go together. To someone, a girl could be beautiful but not necessarily sexy. Whereas to someone else, that same person could be beautiful as well as sexy.

Take Bonnie for example. To him, Bonnie was extremely beautiful, with her olive colored eyes, cocoa colored skin and warm friendly smile. Which is what captured his attention on that first day. Her openness and friendly persona. He found her beautiful but not necessarily sexy.

Whereas to her temperamental mate, Bonnie Bennett was the epitome of beauty and sexy. Especially when you pissed her off.

Piss her off and Bonnie – according to Tyler - went from beautiful to undeniably sexy in two seconds flat. Those olive colored eyes, darkened, and that cocoa colored skin seem to shimmer. And then there was that smile. It turned from warm and friendly, to mocking and hard. Yeah a pissed off Bonnie Bennett, to Tyler Lockwood, was definitely a sexy as hell Bonnie Bennett.

Which was probably why Tyler liked to piss her off a lot.

And like Bonnie, to him Caroline had just been beautiful. Until the day he had been hit upside the head with exactly how sexy Caroline Forbes could be.

And it had Stefan running scared. He didn't want to have these feelings about her. Didn't want lust to get in the way of what was a good solid relationship.

But as he had continued to stare down at her, watching her as she spoke animatedly about something he couldn't even remember, all he had wanted to do, was lean down a kiss her to silence.

And if Tyler hadn't interrupted them, Stefan had a feeling he would've done exactly that.

Wasn't it bad enough he had fallen and had his heart broken by Elena? Wasn't it bad enough that he had created a subtle divide between three childhood friends that changed the course of their relationship? That Caroline, Bonnie and Elena were no longer as close as they use to be and that was all because of him?

No, he had to make things even more complicated by falling for Elena's best friend. And that was a mistake just waiting to happen.

And if there was anything Stefan was a pro at it was making mistakes.

Because unfortunately for him, Stefan had made a hell of a lot of mistakes over the large expanse of years he had been alive. Probably more so in the past four years than in the entire time he had become a vampire.

Moving back to Mystic Falls knowing his older brother would eventually follow him was probably right at the top of the list. Damon had the ability to sniff out wherever he was, enter town like he owned the place and leave town with it in pieces, with Stefan having to clean up after him.

Then there was the mistake of falling in love with his ex girlfriends, great, great grand-something. He should've seen that disaster coming towards him like a freight train. Especially once Damon rolled into town.

And finally, allowing a girl to once again come between him and his brother, turning their already tumulus relationship into a volatile one was probably his biggest mistake.

But there had been some positives as well.

The blood-lust that had plagued him for the majority of his after-life was now finally under control, mostly thanks to the woman beside him.

He had found love – fleeting though it may have been, with a woman who _**had **_looked at him as if he were an honest-to-God super-hero.

He found friendship in one tiny little witch and her temperamental mate that he thought that after Lexie died he would never have again.

And he found a sense of family that even when he was human he did not have.

Pondering his thoughts Stefan knew the exact minute Caroline awoke and realised where she was and who she was in bed with. That soft body tensed against his, her breath, unneeded though it may be, literally hitched as she moved against him cautiously, detangling their limbs and inching away from him.

Faking sleep, Stefan's lids slid closed, his face turned towards hers. Idly he wondered what she was thinking of right at that moment.

Did she regret last night? Did she think he did? Was she going to bolt?

Waiting Stefan resisted the urge to frown, as he felt her slip silently out of bed, and tiptoed towards the bathroom.

Closing the door silently, Stefan heard her engage the lock, before he let out a much unneeded breath.

He had just taken the cowards' way out. Pretending to be asleep while she escaped to the bathroom, he could almost hear Damon's mocking voice now.

"_Such a fucking coward, little brother. No wonder Elena got bored with you."_

And if there was one thing Damon was good at, it was hitting where it hurt. Especially to him.

Staring at the ceiling Stefan thought of his disastrous relationship with his brother.

They had fought as kids just like any brothers, but they had been close. Ignoring any and all attempts of their father to try and pit them against each other, Stefan and Damon had made their own rules.

But enter one deceptive brunette with big brown eyes.

She had been beautiful, Stefan gave her that. The coy smiles, the heated looks, the whispered promises.

Damon had fallen and he had fallen hard. Katherine had him wrapped so tightly around her little finger that it barely gave him room to breathe.

For Stefan it had been a young boy's crush. Katherine was beautiful, sophisticated worldly. But she had been his brother's woman and that was something he never forgot.

It wasn't until a little too late that Stefan realised exactly how deceptive she really was.

By then she had revealed to him and him alone that she was in fact a vampire and then compelled him into a relationship with her, making him forget all about his determination to not sleep with his brother's woman.

Damon had been livid. And that was putting it mildly. He had beaten Stefan into a pulp, leaving him for dead. Stefan remembered Katherine showing up not long after Damon had slammed out of the mansion, a sinister smile crossing her beautiful face. She had told him that she'd take care of everything, and the next thing Stefan knew he was waking up a vampire.

What came next was a flood of emotions that literally knocked him on his ass. He couldn't process them. Couldn't handle them. The intensity of them, and the acute hunger for blood. Anyone's blood. Those first six months had been a bevy of wild sex, continuous feedings and intense emotions.

It had been at that point in time Stefan had thought he loved Katherine. She showed him the world and promised that everything and anything he wanted could be his. He just had to reach out and grab it with both hands.

Which was how Damon became a vampire. He wanted his brother with him, by his side. And what he wanted, Katherine made sure he got.

That had been his deepest regret. Turning Damon. Because from that day on, Damon hated and resented him as much as he loved him. And that, that was understandable.

And now fast forward a hundred years and the brothers found themselves in a similar situation.

Stefan stared at the ceiling, not really seeing it.

Elena had been everything Katherine wasn't, with Katherine's face.

Warm, loving, genuine. Elena was the type of girl you call fall so easily in love with. And it wasn't only her looks. To be honest, the moment he saw her he wanted to run the other way. It seemed as if the curse of Katherine was forever haunting him. He had been floored, literally. Frozen as Bonnie had introduced them, taking in the exact replica of his ex-girlfriend. For one brief moment he had thought Katherine had escaped the tomb and had compelled herself into the lives of those around her, but as he continued to stare at her he realised that this was not Katherine.

She _**looked**_ the same, but there was a warmth in her smile and a shyness in her eyes.

And as he spent more time with her, Stefan realised that Elena was nothing like Katherine. Or at least she _**had**_ been nothing like Katherine.

Because something changed in her. Something turned her from that Elena he first met to the Elena that broke his heart.

When she sobbingly told him she had fallen for Damon and that she felt as if Stefan didn't understand her anymore, Stefan had felt as if she had ripped his heart out.

When she told him that her and Damon had been sleeping with each other behind his back for almost a month, Stefan felt as if she had torn his heart into tiny little pieces.

And when she told him that she was leaving him for his brother, Stefan felt as if karma was rolling around on the floor, laughing her fucking head off.

Yeah karma was a fucking bitch with a capital B.

But he knew he deserved it. Still hurt like shit but he did deserve it.

That had all happened two years ago. Two years of him living between Bonnie and Tyler's house, Caroline's house and renting hotel rooms whenever he was in town.

Two years of him travelling the world, trying to forget that the love of his life was now making a life with his brother.

Two years of sorting out his head and his feelings, for both his brother and Elena. Two years.

And although it had been two years, talking to Damon was still hard. Despite the fact that previously even though they had argued, fought and sniped at each other, their relationship had never been strained. Their relationship now was almost non-existent.

He barely saw his brother anymore, and when he did he was usually at his seat at the Grille, flirting with anything in a skirt while downing shots of whiskey as if it were water. Those familiar light blue eyes would cut to him, and he would nod, raise his glass in acknowledgement and then continue drinking.

Elena however he saw more than he'd like to. She was usually with Bonnie or Caroline, those big brown eyes staring at him mournfully, teeth gripping her lower lip.

At first it had been hard. Really hard. He would walk into either Bonnie's or Caroline's house, see her and walk out the again.

It had gotten better though. The pain that had slammed into him those first few times had lessened slightly. So much so in fact that now he could nod, mumble a greeting and then go find Tyler.

But the last time he had seen Elena, had him trying to re-examine his feelings.

He remembered her showing up to the Bonnie's house, tears filling those doe-like eyes as she pleaded for forgiveness.

"I'm so sorry, Stefan. I made a mistake." She had sobbed and Stefan found that for some odd reason he wasn't moved by her tears. That had him pausing. Previously all she had needed to do was turn to him, those big brown eyes filling with tears and he had been ready to slay all her dragons. Suddenly he had felt – nothing. Well, not quite nothing, just detached.

"I – I realised that this sire thing with Damon had me all screwed up. The feelings I thought I had for him weren't real. The _**love**_ that I thought I had for him wasn't real. I – I remembered _**us**_ Stefan. You and me. I love you Stefan only I was too stupid to realize!"

"Elena –"he began, taking a step back from her.

"We could go back, to the way it was. Just you and me. Together. Like how we use to be." She had pleaded, as she grabbed fistful of his shirt. "We could leave Mystic Falls, leave Damon behind, and it'll be just you and me."

It was at that moment Stefan realised that a few months back; he would've jumped at the chance to be reunited with this woman. He also realised that during this whole time she had been crying he had been comparing her to Caroline.

Caroline was one of those rare women that when she cried, she still looked incredibly beautiful.

"Elena, I don't know what you want me to say." He had interrupted her, grabbing her wrists he tugged them gently to get her to let go of his shirt before he dropped them.

"Say yes!" she insisted. "Say yes to me and you. Give us another chance!"

Staring down at her, Stefan marveled how his body didn't react to hers, how the need to comfort and be there for her seemed non-existent.

"Tell me one thing, Elena." He said quietly, watching as a small frown appeared between her brows.

"Anything."

"Did you break it off with Damon before you came here?"

Elena had paused, a look of panic crossing her face before she blanked it out.

"We had an argument. About me leaving him. He left before –"

"So the answer is no." Stefan interrupted, shaking his head at her.

"Stefan –"she pleaded.

"I think you should leave, Elena." He told her firmly.

"No I –"

"Elena, even if you _**had**_ told him, us –"he said, pointing from her to him. "– is never going to happen again. I can't hurt my brother like that again, because for all intent purposes – He. Loves. You." He annunciated the last three words. "And even though we don't talk anymore, I can't go there again. Can't do that to him. _**Won't**_ do that to him."

"But – but – I love you!" she had cried. "I chose you!" she grabbed his shirt again, desperate.

"And I chose my brother." He told her softly, shaking off her grip. "I chose Damon."

Stefan remembered turning around and walking away from her, leaving her on the other side of Bonnie's front door, tears falling from those dark, dark eyes.

And somehow he felt liberated. As if he had finally, finally said goodbye to that part of his past.

Rising into a sitting potion on the bed, Stefan's eyes cut to the closed bathroom door wondering what was going through Caroline's head.

_**Did**_ she regret last night? Because for Stefan it had been – shit he didn't know what it had been, but he knew that whatever it was, he was equal parts way beyond confused and equal parts wishing that it would happen again and again.

Straining to listen, all Stefan heard was her deep breathing and the turning on of the facet.

He wanted to go to her. Wanted to hold her. Wanted to … shit. He just wanted her.

Two nights ago they had helped Bonnie and Tyler celebrate their upcoming nuptials. It seemed Tyler had finally convinced Bonnie into agreeing to marry him. After all he had only been trying since they were 11 years old.

As expected Caroline was to be Bonnie's maid of honor, along with Bonnie's three cousins, Callie, Arianna and Lucy.

Elena was the noticeable exclusion, to which Stefan found out later from Tyler that she had refused to attend both the party and the wedding if Damon wasn't invited. Bonnie had just shrugged and told her if that's what she wanted then fine by her.

Elena should've known not to give Bonnie an ultimatum. Klaus did that once, and found out that was the last thing he'd ever do.

To Stefan's surprise, Tyler had asked him to step in as best man, with his Uncle Mason, his cousin Scott and Scott's best friend Stiles as his groomsman.

Stefan didn't know if that had been Bonnie's doing but Stefan found himself agreeing without really thinking it through.

True, Tyler and he had a pretty close friendship. If truth be told he was a whole lot closer to Tyler now than he was to Damon, but Stefan thought that Mason would be Tyler's first choice.

So the wedding party had gathered at Tyler's house before embarking on a club crawl that lasted over 24hours. 24 hours of drinking, dancing, more drinking and whatever the hell else they got up to.

Bonnie and Tyler had disappeared come the 17th hour, Lucy mumbling something about them almost getting caught in the men's bathroom.

Callie and Mason had also disappeared not long after the main couple, Stefan seeing Mason drag the Bennett cousin out through the doors and bundle her into a taxi before jumping in after her.

The last time Stefan had seen Lucy, some large were had firmly attached himself to her ass, growling at anybody who even came close to her.

Arianna and Scott had taken a drunken Stiles home and then suddenly Stefan and Caroline found themselves alone.

Caroline had been a social butterfly. Dancing with anyone who asked, taking shots like a sailor and making sure none of their friends got into brawls.

Stefan had danced a little, drank a lot and initiated some of the near brawls their friends nearly got into.

Breathing deeply, Stefan's eyes flickered back to the closed bathroom door.

When the others had left, Stefan knew he was in big trouble. He had taken one look into those laughing brown eyes and lost all coherent thought.

He barely remembered them dancing, barely remember who initiated the first kiss, but what he _**did**_ remember was the feeling of her tight, wet depths accepting his first thrust. The keening cry that tore from her throat and the taste of her blood on his tongue.

Licking his lips, Stefan stared at the bathroom door again. He could hear the shower running and suddenly Stefan was bombarded with visions of Caroline and her naked flesh. Caroline and her naked breasts. Just Caroline … naked.

Damn. Glaring down at the little 'big' problem that was poking him in the stomach, Stefan got to his feet, gingerly pulling on his boxers.

They needed to talk this out. He refused to have their relationship soured by awkward looks and tense silences.

Hearing her switch off the shower, Stefan raised his hand above the door, hesitant. Shit he _**was**_ a coward.

Gritting his teeth, Stefan reached out and knocked on the bathroom door, probably a little harder than necessary.

"Care."

Silence greeted him for a space of five seconds, before she responded. Her voice a little high and a lot nervous.

"Yeah?"

"Open the door Care." He told her firmly, his hand inching to touch her.

"I'll just be a minute." She responded, this time her voice steadier than before, refusing him for the first time in like - ever.

Brows snapping together Stefan leant against the door jam.

"Care." He warned, grimacing at the firmness of his tone. Like he was telling her off for some reason.

Stefan counted to 10 slowly, promising himself that if she didn't open the door by ten, he would knock the door down.

By the time he got to eight, the door was wrenched open, and Stefan stood staring down into Caroline's make up free face.

"Yeah?" she asked him breezily, placing a hand on his chest and pushing him out of the way.

Scowling Stefan reached out and grabbed her elbow as she walked past, hauling her up against his body, causing the both of them to groan.

"We need to talk." He told her, his eyes drifting to her lips.

"About what, Stefan?" she asked him. "Last nigh was –"

"Amazing." He interrupted knowing she was about to say a mistake.

Caroline paused, blinking up at him.

"Last night –"he told her, drawing her close to him. "– was equal parts amazing and equals parts confusing."

The tension that had been in Caroline's body suddenly seeped away as she relaxed against him, resting her forehead on his chin.

"I – I – shit, I don't know what to feel." She confessed, her hands drifting around him and rubbing his back.

"I don't regret last night Care, but I also don't want last night to ruin what we have."

"What do we have Stefan?"

"A friendship. A strong one. Besides Bonnie and Tyler, you are about the only other one I give a damn about and I don't want to lose that." He placed a finger under her chin, tilting her head up to his. "I can't lose you Care."

Caroline sighed staring up at him.

"But what about this." She asked him, arms tightening around him. "What about last night."

Stefan bit his lip, staring down at her.

"What are you thinking about, right now at this moment." He asked her instead.

Caroline took a deep breath.

"How right it feels. To be here. With you." She said hesitantly. "I'm thinking about how last night was amazing. How I've never felt that way before, about _**anyone**_ "she closed her eyes again, resting her head on his chest. "I'm thinking about Elena, and how if she finds out about this. It would break her heart."

Stefan hugged her to him, his lips brushing over her forehead.

"Forget Elena –"

"Stefan I _**can't**_." she told him, drawing back and pushing him away. "She's still in love with you. She still wants you back."

"Care –"scowling when she jerked back from him, Stefan cupped her face, holding her still. "Care – forget about her. This has nothing to do with her."

"See that's where you're wrong." Caroline snapped at him. "It's always about Elena. It will always be about Elena!"

"Only if you let it." Stefan told her, pulling her close. "Elena made her choice. And I'm making mine. If you want to pursue this with me, then I'm willing." He told her.

Caroline licked her lips, searching his gaze.

"But she – she told me she wants you back. That she would do anything to get you back."

"And I told her that I don't want her." Surprise flickered over her face as she continued to search his gaze.

"She came to me, last time I was in Mystic Falls, telling me that she had made a mistake. That being with Damon was a mistake." Stefan touched his lips to hers lightly. "She was crying, begging me to take her back. And do you know what I was thinking of at that moment?"

Caroline shook her head.

"I was thinking that the one time I saw you cry, you were absolutely beautiful. When Elena was telling me she wanted me back, I thought of you, Care. I walked away, because I wanted to, because whatever Elena and I had in the past was going to stay in the past."

Tears slid over Caroline's cheeks and Stefan used his thumb to wipe them away.

"I'm willing to take a chance, Care. On you. On us. What about you?" Stefan asked her, lips a hair's breath away from hers.

"I – " Caroline's tongue slid over her lower lip, brushing his ever so lightly, causing them both to shudder in awareness.

"Care?"

Caroline closed her eyes. Stefan knew she was in conflict with herself. Their road was not going to be an easy one. Especially for Caroline. Elena would make sure of that. But Stefan was willing to take that road if Caroline was.

He was willing to take that road with her.

"Care?" he asked one more time, thumbs brushing her high cheek bones.

"Yes." She whispered opening her eyes and meeting his.

Happiness burst within Stefan making him grin widely before he picked her up and spun her around, causing her to squeal.

"We're in this together, Care." He told her happily, right after he kissed the breath out of her body. "Me and you. Fuck everyone else."

Laughing Caroline hugged him causing Stefan's arms to tighten around her. They could do this. From now on it was Caroline and their happiness first, Elena and her drama last.


End file.
